1. Field of the Invention
This is invention is in the field of devices for use in grinding blades.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is the practice when sharpening a metal blade to move the blade past a rotary grinding wheel. For example, a lawn mower blade includes a pair of cutting edges located on the opposite sides and ends of the blade. A standard blade grinder includes a rotatably driven grinding wheel with a platform provided adjacent to the wheel to support the lawn mower blade as the blade is pushed past and against the grinding wheel.
Many blades include a plurality of cutting edges all of which are not located in the same plane. For example, a mulching blade used on a rotary lawn mower may include two or more cutting edges located at each end of the mulching blade. One such blade includes three cutting edges at each blade end with one cutting edge located between and obliquely arranged relative to the other two cutting edges. The bevel width or cutting angle of each cutting edge should be approximately the same. As a result, it is quite difficult to sharpen or grind each separate cutting edge. Typically, the work support surface and grinding wheel remain fixed necessitating the operator to hold the blade at a different angle relative to the grinding wheel for sharpening each edge. Disclosed herein is a platform for automatically positioning the particular cutting edge to be sharpened relative to the grinding wheel as the blade is moved against and past the wheel. The platform may be originally built into the grinding apparatus or may be added to an existing grinding apparatus.